Sewing Mat Sharon Style

There are many tutorials on the web for sewing machine mats; here's my recipe for a very simple one.

You need a 21 inch square of backing and a piece of batting the same size (I used vintage Thermore).  Select the fabric for the top of the mat and cut a square 20 inches.  (I always make the batting and backing pieces larger than the front; for this mat I only added an inch on each side.) Layer the backing right side down + batting + quilt top face up.  Pin baste or secure however you like best.

Quilt as desired.  Much of the quilting will be covered by the machine.  You could draw a grid, practice some free motion quilting, or do what I did--sort of a free motion of organic lines using my Featherweight.  Easy, free-flowing lines from one side to another.  No pattern, no drawing.  I used a variegated quilting thread on top and bottom.  The thread picked up every color in the batik!

Once you are done quilting, press the piece.  Now cut this quilted fabric into a rectangle 18 x 19.5 inches.  If you are using a directional fabric remember to correctly orient the rectangle measurements.  The long side (19.5) goes from the back of the machine to the front where the pocket will be.

From your pocket fabric, cut one piece 8.5 x 18 inches.  Fold in half wrong sides together and press.  You will have a pocket piece that measures 4.25 x 18.  Lay this in place on the bottom edge of the quilted/trimmed fabric and pin in place.  You can draw in your dividing lines to make smaller pockets so that your tools/scissors will stand up in the pockets for easy retrieval.  You can lay your tools on top of the pocket piece to see what size dividers you will need. Baste the pocket in place around two short sides and one long side (bottom).  Stitch on divider lines.

You will need three WOF strips to make the binding.  I decided to hand stitch my binding on the back side so I cut my strips 2 inches.  You can choose a binding width that is most comfortable to you.  Bind around the entire piece.  Hand or machine stitch the binding to the back and you have a fabulous mat!

You may want to check the width of your machine to be sure the mat is big enough for your machine.  If not, start with a square a couple of inches bigger than what your finished piece will measure and work from there.

This will be really handy at classes or retreats where we all tend to spread our tools over every available flat surface.  Having scissors, ripper, pencil, etc. within easy reach will save time and aggravation.  And for those of you who need to break down your sewing "room" after every session, this will keep those small tools corralled and help protect whatever surface you are working on.

So there you have my first finish of 2015!  It really is a bare-bones pattern, so if you have any questions please ask.  And if your first attempt at machine quilting doesn't go so well, I'm sure one of your pets would be thrilled to have it for a bed!  Not that you'll have any trouble, but...it's always good to have a Plan B. ;-) Don't ask me how I know!

Blissful hugs,
Sharon

Another Finish for Me!!!!

A couple weeks ago I had the urge to make a small runner to fit my sewing room window sill.  I had a piece that fit, but it had pointy ends and I wanted to cover as much space as possible.  I had leftovers from another quilt top I had recently finished and a pattern (Skinny Mini by Joan Ford).

Here's the basted sandwich, ready for quilting.

Here's a detail of the quilting. Machine done in (sort-of) parallel lines.  (I never said I was an expert at machine quilting.)

The view from the back.  We'll just call the quilting "folk-arty".  The straight lines at the edges are traveling lines and are covered by the binding.

And here it is with the binding all done.

And its close-up!

I was so excited to actually complete a project in a short time.  I cleaned off the window sill, laid the runner on it, and...it was too long!  The ends went up the sides of the window frame!  So I got out the one I had measured before, counted the blocks--and they were exactly the same!  I'm not sure how the second one grew about two inches....  So I put the pointy ended one in the window and now am looking for a place for the daisies.  I was ironing today and the bookcase near the ironing board looks like a candidate.

The best laid plans, you know!

Blissful hugs,
Sharon

P.S.  You can visit Joan Ford's website www.hummingbird-highway.com and blog www.scrap-therapy-quilts.blogspot.com.  I'm not sure if the Skinny Mini patterns are still available, but there are tons of cool things on both sites.  The Skinny Mini pattern I used was Roberta.

Shoo Fly Friendship Quilt, Part 3

It's probably easiest to use a design wall to arrange the blocks.  Arranging the blocks into a pleasing arrangement is half the fun!  If you are using directional sashing strips (as in the frog fabric), you may want to lay in all the sashing and cornerstone pieces before proceeding.  It may seem like a chore to do this part, but its a lot less tedious than frog stitching (aka Rip It Rip It)!

Now let's set this top together!

First make six cornerstone/sashing rows.  Start with a cornerstone and add a sashing strip.  For the quilt as described, you will need a total of five cornerstones and four sashing strips.  Press seams toward the sashing.  (If using directional sashing, these are the horizontal pieces.)

You will now form five sashing/block rows.  Add a (vertical) sashing strip to the left side of each block, then join the blocks to form the row.  Add a sashing strip to the right side of the last block in the row.  Press the seams toward the sashing (away from the blocks).

Assemble the rows.  I add a cornerstone/sashing row to the top and bottom of row 1.  Press seams toward the cornerstone/sashing rows (away from the blocks).  Add another sashing/block row.  Press seams toward sashing row.  Backstitch at the end of each seam as you assemble the rows.


Continue adding rows until you have something that looks like this!

Now that wasn't so bad, was it?  Our decision was to have this machine quilted so that it could be loved and dragged and drooled on and then washed multiple times.  Yes, I do think hand quilting would stand up to that rigorous use, but it wouldn't have gotten to the grandma or baby by graduation time at the rate I am finishing things!  It's important to choose your battles wisely.

So there you have it!  I have changed the name of the pattern posts to Shoo Fly Friendship Quilt and have made a pattern label on the left side bar so that you can more easily find it again.

Hugs,

Sharon

P.S.  I am listening to War Horse by Michael Morpurgo.

Shoo Fly Friendship Quilt, Part 2

Ready for some fun?  First, sort all the squares and half-square triangles by color and place them on paper plates.  (This is a pared down version of what we had originally, but you get the idea.)  

For each block, place five background squares and four half-square background triangles on a paper plate.

Each person picks up one plate of background pieces and then chooses one design square and four half-square triangles and adds them to the plate.  Some will choose five different design fabrics, some will choose five the same and some will fall somewhere in between.  That's the fun of it!  

Set machines up for a scant 1/4 inch seam and use a neutral thread or match the darker colors.  (Please do not use white, even if one of the fabrics is white; trust me on this.)  With right sides together, piece the half-square triangle units together.  Set the seam and then press the seam toward the darker fabric.  (Yes, I use steam.)  Trim the dog-ears.

Lay out the units as shown.

                                
                                  This is Row 1.


                                   This is Row 2.


                                    This is Row 3.

The red arrows in the diagram below indicate pressing direction.  Because I want the design fabrics to come forward, I press the seams underneath them.  The "easy" press would be to press always toward the background (white) squares.  Pick your battles--but do as I say!  (Sorry, Karen, the diagram is the best I could do!)

Lay the completed rows back into the pattern.  Fold Row 1 down over Row 2 and pin as shown.  Be sure to match seams (they should be opposing).  And the answer is:  YES, you do need to pin to get those nice sharp points.  As ye sew, so shall ye rip--just sayin'.  Stitch and press the seam toward Row 1.  See diagram above.  Add Row 3 in the same manner and press toward Row 3.

Here's the block from the back, all neatly pressed and measuring exactly 9-1/2 inches unfinished.

And here's this beauty from the front.  This block is easy enough to do with non-quilters, if they have some help.  We pinned the units for the non-quilters and let them sew them with supervision.  Advise them to sew slowly and not through their fingers!  Have each person sign their block with permanent pen (I like Micron Pigma in a .03 or .05 point size).  They can sign anywhere they want.  Most of us signed on the white just under one of the design half-square triangles.  (Before you think you've gone blind, this block is not signed!). See Part 2 for "Gramma's" signature block.

Julie commented on Part 2 of this serial blog post and, yes, it is Sam's quilt!  We had a blast making it at Julie's baby shower.


Tomorrow (or Monday) will be setting directions and then we are done with this project.  Thanks for tuning in.


Hugs,
Sharon


P.S.  Jay, look under the "quilting" label on the left side of the blog and then for the December 4, 2011, post for the design wall story!

Shoo Fly Friendship Quilt, Part 1

Choosing fabrics can be done by one person or several.  I do like to think about the recipient and the theme, if any, for the shower, etc.  Usually the focus (sashing) fabric is chosen first and the supporting fabrics based on that.  In Cindy's quilt, above, the frog fabric was first, then eight coordinating colors and the background.  Or you could choose to do a more scrappy version with one background to unite the blocks and choose the sashing later. 


Yes, I'm going to say it:  Wash your fabric before using it!  Fabric shrinks at different rates and it does run.  I'd rather know that before I start cutting and piecing than after the quilt is finished.  (I do know that you will do whatever you want in the privacy of your home--but you have been warned and I have done my duty.)


Yardage for the 20 block quilt as shown (approximately 49 x 60 when finished)


Background:  1-1/2 yards


"Design" fabric:  I bought fat quarters (8) and divided that number into the number of half square and square pieces I needed to cut.  I had plenty left, so I cut the cornerstones from these fabrics as well.  If you are doing everything from one fabric, a yard will more than suffice.


Sashing:  1-1/2 yards


Binding:  1/2 yard (I use 2 inch wide strips [you will need 6], but the yardage is enough to cut 2.5 inch strips)


Backing:  3-1/2 to 4 yards for vertical seam and to allow for machine quilting




Cutting (blocks finish 9 inches):


Each Shoo Fly block requires:


Background:  Two 3-7/8 inch squares divided once diagonally AND four 3-1/2 inch squares


Design fabric:  Two 3-7/8 inch squares divided once diagonally AND one 3-1/2 inch square


For 20 blocks you will need:


Background:  Forty (40) 3-7/8 inch squares divided once diagonally AND eighty (80) 3-1/2 inch squares


Design fabric:  Forty (40) 3-7/8 inch squares divided once diagonally AND twenty (20) 3-1/2 inch squares


--------------------------------------


You will need to cut a total of thirty (30) 3 inch squares for cornerstones from your chosen fabric.


For sashing, you will need forty-nine (49) rectangles 3 x 9-1/2 inches.  Remember to cut both lengthwise and crosswise if you have directional fabric (as happened with the frogs); non-directional fabrics I usually cut crosswise.


---------------------------------------

NOTES:  When I have a fabric (in this case the background) that is hard to tell the right from wrong side, I put a small mark in the seam allowance on the wrong side of each piece.  That helps keep mistakes to a minimum while piecing.  (Nothing is foolproof, but this makes it a bit easier!)


I have been generous with yardage.  I've never been a fan of getting almost to the end of a project and lacking just a bit of fabric.  So I've already added for a safety factor.


Tomorrow night?  Piecing the blocks.  This is the first time I've put a pattern on the blog, so I welcome feedback and comments.


Hugs til tomorrow!
Sharon